


if you wanna break these walls down you're gonna get bruised

by WooziOveralls



Series: a supervillain's guide to falling in love [3]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: (a lil more accurante than villain), (someone breaks their nose), Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, M/M, and everyone's favorite: backstory, anti-hero!jihoon, featuring the rest of seventeen (minus chan n hao they got special stuff soming their way soon), superhero!seungcheol, villain!jihoon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2019-08-27
Packaged: 2020-09-27 15:45:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20410270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WooziOveralls/pseuds/WooziOveralls
Summary: “I have never praised any superhero. Not seriously, anyway.”The shit-eating grin taking over Seungcheol’s expression is visible from the corner of Jihoon’s vision and he refuses to gaze up at his boyfriend, “So I’m the first superhero to receive praise from you?”“Don’t get cocky.”





	if you wanna break these walls down you're gonna get bruised

**Author's Note:**

> I am back with more super-boyfriends yeehaw ! please enjoy jicheol being dumb and breaking stuff ohoho
> 
> (title from castle by halsey)

As it turns out, dating your worst enemy and hiding it from your fellow supervillains is not as hard as Jihoon had previously thought. Not at first, at least.

It’s been over two months since Jihoon and Seungcheol have made it official that they are, indeed, a couple; the only thing the other villains seem to have noticed is that Jihoon hasn’t done much as Necros in this short time, which is not that uncommon; Jihoon gets a little busy with his regular life, sometimes, and the others don’t hold him accountable to that.

It doesn’t stop them from guessing what has kept Jihoon so busy he can’t pop in their missions to terrify the shit out of people with his shadows, though. Seokmin insists that he’s simply busy with real work; but the others, Joshua, Jeonghan, and Seungkwan, have collectively concluded, like the hive-mind they are, that the only possible reason is that he’s in a relationship and is too shy to admit it.  


The quintet is sitting around Jihoon’s living room drinking when the teasing truly starts. A clearly not-sober Seungkwan clings onto his arm when he has decided their previous subject was too boring, yelling, “Let’s talk about Jihoon-hyung’s secret boyfriend!”

The suggestion is met with excited gasps from Jeonghan and Joshua but Seokmin looks a little queasy all of a sudden. Seungkwan has an almost manic look in his eyes when he stage-whispers, “It’s Soonyoungie, isn’t it?” And Joshua gasps at the suggestion.

“Oh my God, Soonyoung!” He giggles, clapping his hand excitedly. This man, who possesses the ability to manipulate matter and make people’s veins explode if he so desires, actually _giggles_. “Please, the way he looks at you is adorable.”

“No, it’s not Soonyoungie.” Jihoon shakes his head, putting a hand on Seungkwan’s chest to push him away. The light pressure is enough to send Seungkwan flying back onto the floor.

“But you do admit there’s someone special!” Seungkwan giggles, ignoring the pain shooting through his back. “You just said it’s not Soonyoung but It can be anyone else!” The emphasis on _anyone_ makes a small smile appear in Seokmin’s face, a smile no one notices, too busy with their teasing.

Jeonghan chuckles, “It should be, though. The way he looks at you is almost pitiful, Jihoon.”

Jihoon shakes his head again, a little too forceful; the motion makes him sway where he sits as the alcohol in his system finally shows its effects. He misses the cold calculating look on Jeonghan’s face, “There’s no one, I’ve just been very busy, alright?” He insists.

“Yeah, sure. And Jeonghan and Joshua never kissed in their entire lives.” Seungkwan drawls, sarcasm dripping from his tongue. Jihoon stretches one foot to kick him, “Shut up.” at the same time Jeonghan gasps in mock-offense.

“How dare you...” Jeonghan snort-laughs, mending the sound with a groan right after. He leans back, looking up at the ceiling with a forlorn expression. “Shit, I miss kissing. Let’s stop talking about dating before I land one on one of you out of sheer desperation.” Seungkwan snorts and they both miss the look that flashes in Joshua’s eyes. “We need more alcohol.” Jeonghan amends, lifting his head up to look at the empty bottles on the coffee table.

Seokmin immediately speaks up, startling Jihoon; he had almost forgotten the boy was there, “I’ll get it!” He tries to get up on wobbly legs, only to fall right back, making styrofoam shoot up from the abused bean bag. “I’ll get it,” Seokmin repeats, but makes no sign of getting up again.

Joshua snorts, “Is Soonyoung on his way back from class? We should ask him to bring us the soju.” As if on command, the front door unlocks, and Soonyoung is met by cheering with a very confused face. “Our savior!” Jeonghan cries out dramatically, reaching out in an attempt to slap Soonyoung’s ass and leaving his arm dangling halfway when the plan fails.

“Saviour?” Soonyoung repeats.

Jihoon is ready to dismiss any weird comment the oldest might make of their speculations about Jihoon’s own love life, but all Jeonghan says is, “Soju.”

“Soju?”

“He means he wants you to go buy us soju,” Jihoon explains, “But that is rude because Jeonghan is a _guest_ here.” Jeonghan lifts his head again to glare at Jihoon and boos him.

Soonyoung shakes his head, “No, it’s cool. I’ll go get your soju. Let me just throw my bag in my room and grab a coat.”

“Kwon Soonyoung, you’re a lifesaver!” Joshua cries in the direction of Soonyoung's room; the man returns only a minute later drowning in a big coat and sporting a small smile on his face, making his cheeks puff out cutely.

“You really don’t have to, man.” Jihoon insists, only to receive a kick from Joshua.

“He doesn’t mean that,” Joshua assures Soonyoung, whose smile widens a bit.

“It really is okay. I’ll be back in a bit with your fuel.”

“I’ll pay you back, alright?” Jihoon says at the same time Seungkwan whines from the floor, “You makes us sound like alcoholics when you say it like that.”

“Hyung, I’ll go with you!” Seokmin speaks up again, actually managing to get up this time. Soonyoung seems surprised by the sudden voluntary and shakes his head.

“No, you don’t have to.”

It’s too late to change Seokmin’s mind, though, because he is already shrugging on his own coat and crossing the living room in three big steps. “Come on, I’ll help you carry the bags.” Seokmin sends him a bright smile that seems to break down Soonyoung’s resolution.

Soonyoung shakes his head, but mimics the smile, “Fine, let’s go.” He turns to address the dying little crowd scattered around the living room, “We’ll be right back.” And they’re gone.

Jihoon can’t be the only one that just saw that exchange.

“Hyung, I think Seokminnie has his eyes on your man,” Seungkwan comments from his spot on the floor, receiving a face-full of pillow in return.

  
  
  
  
  


“Jihoonie?” Seungcheol calls for the third time, finally managing to snap Jihoon out of his thoughts, “Hey, where did you go off to?”

Jihoon shakes his head and looks down at his plate, still filled with the pasta he ordered. This is only their fourth official night out and Jihoon thinks he might be able to get used to this...maybe. Seungcheol has a good taste for restaurants and is a proper gentleman. Jihoon feels a little bad because...well, he doesn’t really deserve such a boyfriend. “Sorry,” He sighs, dropping his fork down and wincing at the noise it makes in the mostly silent restaurant, “I was just…have you told your..._hero _friends about us?”

Seungcheol stops chewing, eyes widening a little at the question. He swallows and shrugs, “I told them I’m dating an amazing guy, but not...not about your identity.” He admits, watching Jihoon’s expression carefully. “I don’t want them to only see Necros when I introduce you to them eventually, I guess,” Seungcheol adds with a small shrug.

“So it’s not because you feel bad about dating a villain, right?” Jihoon probs, eyes suddenly turning sharp; a look of surprise flashes by Seungcheol’s eyes before it turns into guilt and he looks down at his plate. It doesn’t take a mind reader to know that Jihoon is right; Seungcheol is an easy person to read, wears his heart on his sleeve. “That’s alright.” Jihoon whispers after an uncomfortable silence has fallen upon the table, “I haven’t told anyone because of the same reason.”

“How come?”

Jihoon hums, finally taking a bite of the chicken in his plate, “I have quite literally never praised any superhero. Not seriously, anyway.”

The shit-eating grin taking over Seungcheol’s expression is visible from the corner of Jihoon’s vision and he refuses to gaze up at his boyfriend, “So I’m the first superhero to receive praise from you?”

“Don’t get cocky.” Jihoon scoffs, but a smile is slowly taking over his expression. “Or my shadows will haunt at night.”

“Oh, I’m so scared, Jihoonie.”

  
  
  
  
  


Jihoon hasn’t always hated superheroes, to be completely honest. Growing up in a world replete of men in iron suits who can fly around kind of brainwashes kids into thinking everything these people do is undoubtedly good. Jihoon truly believed all superheroes only wanted the best for the common people and stood by that until the day he had to comfort his grieving best friend.

Soonyoung had been curled up on their couch when Jihoon knocked on his family home’s door. A faint “Come in.” beckoned Jihoon inside and the sight Jihoon found broke his heart into a million pieces: Soonyoung was nothing more than a lump on the couch, face blotchy with tears and an empty stare turned in Jihoon’s direction.

“She’s gone, Jihoonie.” It was nothing but a whisper and barely explained the situation in itself, but Jihoon understood immediately what had happened. In three big steps, he was by Soonyoung’s side, one hand rubbing over his still form carefully.

He didn’t press on, didn’t ask any of the many questions plaguing his mind, only remained by Soonyoung’s side as quiet tears were shed. When Soonyoung finally spoke up again, almost an hour later, his tone was angry, “He just- he let that building fall, he made that building fall on her.” The blanket under Jihoon’s hand had started shaking with Soonyoung’s movements, “Sooyoung died because of that asshole. He _killed_ her.”

Soonyoung had been talking about The Crow, probably the most famous superhero when they were growing up. The Crow had been fighting an alien threat and one of his attacks had damaged the foundations of building nearby. The building where Soonyoung’s sister worked.

She hadn’t been the only victim, but the news only grazed past the number of deaths in favor of praising The Crow’s courage and determination in fighting for and saving the city. “We will rebuild like we always do. But the entire planet may be forever indebted to The Crow’s willingness to risk his own life to save us. Thank you, Crow.” The reporter had said on the news that same night while standing beside the grinning superhero. The expression on that guy’s face was what made Jihoon the angriest. He knew the building collapse had killed people, and he knew he was the cause of it, yet he was smiling. There wasn’t an ounce of sadness or remorse in those black eyes.

Jihoon stopped believing superheroes had any good intentions that night and swore to himself to use his powers to fight these people who kill innocents in the name of the _greater good_.

In a sense, that made Necros more of an anti-hero than a supervillain, really. He gained the villain title solely because he was partnered with actual villains and he aided them. People who steal and cause havoc. Jihoon has never hurt anyone though, had sworn not to ever hurt any civilian. Doesn’t think he could live with himself if he was ever the cause of any death, directly or not.

The others know that, and they know the story behind that- just like Soonyoung knows the identity of everyone, Jeonghan’s Illusion, Joshua’s Psycho, Seungkwan’s Howl and Seokmin’s Aerial. Not all of them are the same, not at all, but Jihoon can see the regret in everyone’s eyes when an innocent person dies in their missions, can see they’re not okay with that, and that’s enough for him.

Jihoon hasn’t told any of that to Seungcheol. He doesn’t think he can do that so soon in their relationship, even if they haven’t exactly followed the rules of a normal relationship up to this point.

Opening up would make things more complicated than they already are, and Jihoon is definitely not ready for that, wasn’t exactly ready to date someone who knows his identity in the first place.

He’ll have to work up the nerve to have that conversation. But not just yet. He likes Seungcheol way too much to let anything screw this up.

  
  
  
  
  


His plans go down the drain a couple of days later when he’s out with The Quintet as per their request to help them carry this mission on. Jihoon is patrolling ahead to check for any threats to their heist when he notices the blur of purple disappearing into thin air above a building merely a block away from their target. He knows immediately it’s one of Echo’s clones or illusions, which can only mean he’s nearby, and if he knows about the heist, the others do too. Firelight, Saturn and Silver Dagger must be close by and, if they haven’t seen him patrolling just yet, they will very soon.

The shadows can never hide him for too long when four pairs of eyes know where to look.

Jihoon does another quick sweep on the immediate area around their target, keeping his eyes open for any indication that the superheroes might be close; he returns to Jeonghan with his findings. Apprehension heavy in his gut because, if Seungcheol is here, they will leave Jihoon to deal with Dagger like they always do and he’s not sure he’s ready for that.

He’s fought Silver Dagger too many times to count but now….now Jihoon doesn’t know how to make it believable.

He still doesn’t like superheroes, still despises them, actually. But Seungcheol is….Seungcheol. Sweet and caring and amazing and handsome and-

Jihoon is screwed.

Jihoon is completely, totally, _royally_ screwed.

Jeonghan doesn’t take well to the news that the superheroes might be nearby. In fact, he looks livid once Jihoon is done reporting what he saw during the patrol.

“How in all hell do they even know we’re planning something?” The question is almost whispered, as if the heroes would be able to hear them from where they’re situated underground, but venom drips in his tone, “If I didn’t know each one of you like the palm of my hand, I would say one of you is tipping us off.” Jeonghan concludes with crossed arms, raking his suspicious gaze through the entire group, lingering a little too long on Jihoon.

“That’s ridiculous,” Joshua’s voice cuts through, a hint of humor in it, “None of us would ever betray each other like that.”

“Of course,” Replies a fidgeting Seungkwan and Jeonghan gaze snaps to his direction, lingering there for a couple of seconds before trailing sideways to a composed Seokmin, who’s busy organizing his arrows in their sheath. He doesn’t acknowledge Jeonghan’s glare, but Jihoon can notice the way his shoulders tense up ever so slightly. “Minnie, you haven’t told anything to Soonyoungie, right?”

Jihoon shakes his head before Seokmin can respond himself, “Soonyoung hates superheroes more than we do. He wouldn’t tip us off, I promise.”

It’s a little too late to take it back once the sentence is out of Jihoon’s mouth. He just drew Jeonghan’s suspicion to himself.

Despite the knot forming in Jihoon’s stomach, Jeonghan only stares him down for a couple of seconds before sighing and turning on his heel; Jihoon is suddenly very grateful Jeonghan’s power is not reading minds, “Okay, nothing we can do about that now, but we _will_ have to fight them.”

Always the main strategists, Jeonghan and Joshua start laying down a modified plan that will allow them to fight the heroes while still carrying on this mission. And it comes as no surprise that they leave Jihoon to deal with Silver Dagger; it’s their usual set up because Jihoon is the only one to have ever managed to knock Dagger out.

Not that he’s planning on doing that now, and maybe never again, but he can admit he is pretty good at fighting the guy.

Jeonghan hands him a suit and ushers him to put it on top of his uniform quickly. He’s already dressed up for the gala their heist is planned around, longish blonde hair slicked back but with some wild strands sticking out; Jeonghan is eye-catching and has always been, that always comes as an advantage for The Quintet. Joshua is obviously eyeing him but Jeonghan either doesn’t notice or doesn’t pay any mind to it.

Joshua also looks amazing. He’s dressed up pretty similar to Jeonghan, but his brown hair is parted in the middle, framing his soft face. Joshua’s powers were the biggest surprise to Jihoon when they first met; absolutely nobody would expect this soft-spoken boy to be able to make people’s insides turn into their outsides with nothing but his mind when given enough time. Everyone usually tries to stay out of his way, even if he wouldn’t do anything of the sorts to his friends. The only one who would dare challenge him is Jeonghan and vice versa.

They’re a dangerous duo, Jihoon thinks.

Then there are Seokmin and Seungkwan, another dangerous duo, especially when they’re paired up in a fight. Seokmin’s near inhuman abilities with the bow and arrow paired with Seungkwan’s sonic powers are always an intense combination in battle.

“God, I love this feeling,” Jeonghan says suddenly, taking a look at himself in the full-length mirror situated at the corner of the room. “Planning these heists and executing them is almost, I don’t know, addictive. I don’t know how we haven’t destroyed every selfish millionaire’s lives in the city yet."

“Seoul’s a bit too big, hyung,” Seungkwan comments, leaning back against the cushioned seat of the couch nonchalantly. “Besides, those assholes almost always get in our way …”

“So you start dating Saturn to get some inside info on them,” Seokmin completes with a laugh, shouldering his arrow sachet. He receives an undignified noise of complaint from Seungkwan at that, coupled with a punch to the shoulder that barely seems to affect him.

They’re all a great team, Jihoon thinks briefly. They’re definitely not good people but...they’re not doing things intending to harm anyone who hasn’t done horrible things already, so he likes to think they’re not inherently bad. But maybe the lines between good and bad have long since blurred in Jihoon’s mind.

Maybe they shouldn’t even have existed in the first place.

One thing Jihoon has to agree with though: the feeling is definitely addictive; he doesn’t want to stop doing this anytime soon.

  
  
  
  
  


The gala is just like anyone would expect it to be: full of snobby people who want nothing more than to get richer than they already are.

Well, those people and them, of course.

They blend in quite magnificently among the upper class of Seoul. Among the CEOs, chaebols, and people from the entertainment industry lie the five supervillains, making small talk through gritted teeth and well-practiced lies for the first couple hours of the party.

The problem with this plan starts before they can even complete the first phase of it, though. Well, at least on Jihoon’s part. There, off in the corner with who Jihoon recognizes as a rich idol-turned-CEO, is a very, _very_ handsomely dressed up Choi Seungcheol, chatting up the millionaire with a dashing smile.

Jihoon can’t help but freeze in place for a couple of seconds, heart beating like a drum inside his chest, echoing in his ears.

He doesn’t know how long it takes for Seungcheol to notice him standing there, but a look of shock flashes in his eyes when he does. Upon realizing their situation, Jihoon simply shakes his head at the man and turns around, striding in the opposite direction with as much of a nonchalant semblance as he can gather. He quickly scans his immediate surroundings for any millionaires he can strike up a conversation with, but a hand on his shoulder stops him.

“Lee Jihoon, what a surprise to see you here.” Says the voice Jihoon immediately recognizes as Seungcheol’s. The hand on his shoulder squeezes it and pulls him to turn around. “Hey,” He says again with a small smile in place; Jihoon notices it is a little forced, but the smile warms his insides up nonetheless.

“Hello, stranger.”

Seungcheol’s smile slowly turns more genuine and, in turn, makes one appear in Jihoon’s own face. “I didn’t know you would be here,” Seungcheol whispers, and it’s obvious he’s not talking about the Gala in itself. It’s also obvious he is unnerved about the sudden new information.

“Just because we’re dating doesn’t mean I won’t do this anymore,” Jihoon bites, voice still hushed. A tingle of anger rakes his skin, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

Seungcheol shakes his head, eyes wide and earnest, “_No_! No, that’s not what I meant. I-” He looks around nervously; his hand travels down to Jihoon’s own and tugs him to a more secluded corner before he shakes his head again, “I never expected you to stop, it’s just- _God_...I guess I never made the connection that you would be here.” He licks his lips and chuckles humorlessly. Jihoon doesn’t think he can be mad at the man; besides, he understands what he means.

“Yeah, I get it,” Jihoon breathes out, keeping his gaze locked on their intertwined hands. He swallows thickly before speaking up again, “Is everyone on your side here?”

There is a second of hesitation on Seungcheol’s part, but he sighs and responds honestly, “Yeah, everyone is here. Echo, Saturn, and Firelight.” He carefully reads Jihoon’s expression. “What about your friends?”

Jihoon also hesitates before answering; if Seungcheol did it, there is no reason for him not to, “Yeah, all here.”

“Right,” Seungcheol sighs. “No chance of you telling me how you’re gonna do it, am I right?”

Jihoon shrugs and that’s enough of an answer. He likes Seungcheol but he’s not gonna risk ruining his plan for a pretty boy. Even if said pretty boy has stars in his eyes and a smile that makes Jihoon’s insides twist and warm up with how lovely it is. Even if he lo- _likes_ said pretty boy more than he'd like to admit. “Would you tell me how your team plans to stop us?”

“Touché.”

Jihoon doesn’t fight the smile that stretches his face. There is static in his in-ear communicator and Jeonghan’s voice comes from it, “Area is clear, I’ll go ahead with Joshua and I need you all to keep watch and come in one by one. Make your excuses to whoever you’re speaking, get in uniform, and wait for my signal. Minnie, you come in for last,” He adds, addressing the archer, “I need you to keep your eyes peeled for any weird thing that might indicate the _heroes_ are here, alright? We can’t have them have the jump on us.” The instructions make a wave of relief wash over Jihoon; he isn’t the one in watch duty so his feelings won’t be a problem to his friends.

At the same time, though, his heart sinks a little; this also means he won’t have control over when they can start the fight.

Jihoon takes a look around them and squeezes Seungcheol’s hand still connected to his, saying, “I should get back to mingling in with the bourgeois.” The comment draws a chuckle out of Seungcheol, “I’ll try not to kick your ass too hard later, yeah?”

Seungcheol nods with a smile still stretching his face, “Yeah, I’m sure you will.” And with one final squeeze, he lets go of Jihoon’s hand, giving him one last comforting smile before he backs away a couple of steps, saying, “May the best win the fight.”

It’s not a threat. It’s merely a statement. They both know they will have to fight in the matter of a couple of hours, maybe even less. This is almost a promise of what’s to come.

They _will_ have to fight. And they will have to make it look as real as possible.

It won’t be a fight between Choi Seungcheol and Lee Jihoon, but a fight between Silver Dagger and Necros.

  
  
  
  
  


It takes longer than Jihoon expected for Seokmin to warn them through the coms that the superheroes are in action. Jeonghan already has the valuables in hands when the warning comes.

Joshua stands guard for Jeonghan while he presses the artifacts onto the palms of his own hands. The items turn into ink and proceed to travel the length up his arms, some ending on his neck and, albeit out of sight for everyone else, the others situate themselves all around his torso, inked like fresh tattoos and completely unreachable for anyone aside from Jeonghan himself.

The heist has been a success.

Just as the last necklace turns to ink on Jeonghan’s palm, a flash of light illuminates the entire room, giving away everyone’s positions, even Jihoon’s own where the shadows swallow him. Following the flash, a chittering-like sound surrounds the quintet when a dozen or so clones of Echo appear out of thin air. Purple, black, and white fill Jihoon’s vision and he realizes there’s one right in front of his shadowy spot, turned away from him. He moves his shadow to the right discreetly to get a better vision of the four heroes slowly making their way into the large garage-like room.

Just as he imagined, Silver Dagger is right in front of everyone like the leader he is, eyes cold and calculating when he stares Illusion down. His eyes flicker to the ink peeking out from where Jeonghan’s neck is barely visible and sighs. “Those tattoos look horrible on you, Illusion.”

“I wouldn’t think you would be one to judge, Dagger.” Jeonghan’s voice takes on a sickeningly sweet intonation when he speaks as Illusion and Jihoon has always found that fascinating. He isn’t able to change his own voice to that extent.

“Oh, no. I would never judge what someone inks on their body,” Seungcheol’s eyes flicker around the room for a couple of seconds, landing a bit too long where Jihoon is camouflaged in the shadows, “What I do judge is what people steal off others.”

Jeonghan’s laugh bounces between the walls confining them and he throws his head back, delighted.

From the corner of his eye, Jihoon catches Seokmin’s signal to attack, so that’s what he does. With a twist in his gut and his heart pounding, Jihoon stretches one string of shadow in Dagger’s direction and wraps it around one of his ankles.

Firelight catches the motion right away and flashes a bright light in Jihoon’s direction. But their plan wasn’t to have Necros drag Dagger out but to create a distraction. As soon as the room is illuminated, Seungkwan and Seokmin spring into action, taking down Echo’s clones effortlessly.

The commotion throws the heroes off balance and they struggle to deal with an attack that now comes from all sides. Firelight’s flashes and Saturn’s glowing rings are the main sources of light, blinding for a millisecond and fading slowly to illuminate the scene.

These battles are always incredibly fascinating in Jihoon’s opinion.

He notices Seungkwan struggling to hit Saturn with his sonic booms, so he commands his shadows to move forth, to wrap themselves around Saturn’s ankles and pull him down from the air, making him roll on the floor, momentarily stunned. This gives both Seungkwan and Seokmin an opening to team up against Firelight and he is easily taken down, left groaning in a heap on the floor next to Saturn.

Only two more to go.

When Jihoon tears his eyes away from the groaning fallen heroes and toward the other side of the tall room. Jeonghan and Joshua are already taking care of Echo, and, without the help of Firelight, he is also easily reduced to a groaning pile on the floor.

That only leaves Silver Dagger. And the villains are all counting on Necros to fight him.

The superheroes slowly regain their sense of surrounding and Jihoon leaves the others to hold them back. It will keep their attention away from him, which makes this a little less nerve-wracking.

This is the moment both have been dreading. The hesitation is evident in Seungcheol’s eyes behind the mask and, although not visible to him, it mirrors Jihoon’s own expression. They shouldn’t hesitate lest they risk raising suspicion, so, after a second too long, Jihoon makes the first move.

His shadows slither silently up Dagger’s legs, keeping him in place when the hero decides to lunge. The sudden movement makes the hero literally faceplant into the floor and the _crack_ that follows suit sends an unpleasant chill up and down Jihoon’s spine.

The broken nose only stuns Dagger for a couple of seconds, though. Soon enough, he’s getting up again and charging towards Necros. Jihoon knows Seungcheol doesn’t plan to truly use his strength, but he can’t deny that the sight of his boyfriend charging toward him with a bloody mask is enough to paralyze him for a second too long and earn him a shove that knocks him onto the shadows behind him.

The fight sort of becomes a blur after that. They fight as they usually would but it is obvious to anyone who knows them that they're both holding back. The broken nose doesn’t hinder Dagger’s performance and the punches he lands on Necros are barely enough to bruise him.

Things take a turn south when one of Archer’s arrows pierces the space between the fighting pair, stunning both into stopping. Another arrow is shot, and this one misses Dagger by a hairbreadth, making Jihoon’s heart skip a beat when the fabric at Seungcheol’s chest is torn, revealing his tattoo.

Jihoon hears a sharp intake of breath from behind him and immediately knows that Illusion has seen it, too. He doesn’t need to look back to picture the smug grin on Jeonghan’s face when the dark inked lines start trembling in Seungcheol’s skin, ready to move.

The air is still for a couple of seconds and Seungcheol’s gaze meets his in a moment of sheer panic. Illusion was never supposed to know this tattoo existed.

Just as the lines of the inked dagger start moving away from Seungcheol’s skin, a bright flash blinds everyone and incapacitates the culprit behind the action.

The heroes are gone when the light dies down, and Jihoon feels his legs turn to jelly and collapse under him.

  
  
  
  
  


Jeonghan insists that they get drinks afterward with a shit-eating grin on his face.

Don’t get him wrong, Jihoon is _really_ happy they were able to steal all that stuff they’ll easily be able to sell and- in Jihoon’s case at least -donate most of the profit. But...his mind has been wandering to the farthest places ever since the battle ended. He thinks about the arrow narrowly missing Seungcheol, thinks about the lines of his beautiful tattoo moving, silent but potentially deadly, and he thinks about the sickening _crack_ of his boyfriend’s nose hitting the hard cement.

He politely turns down his friend’s invites to pay for his soju and apologizes for being a wet blanket (in Seungkwan’s words, not his), taking off to the nearest subway station. He barely registers the way over to Seungcheol’s, completely used to the motions by now.

Jihoon stands before the old crackled grey door, debating with himself for less than a couple of seconds before he knocks. There is no response at first, so he knocks again. This time, a deep voice answers, “Coming!” It is not Seungcheol’s voice and Jihoon is abruptly reminded of the roommate he hasn’t had the opportunity to meet yet.

The man that greets him at the door is tall. Like...freakishly tall, and Jihoon knows it’s not just by his own standards. He towers over Jihoon like a growing tree and it should be slightly terrifying if the guy didn’t have the most docile expression he’s ever seen in all his 23 years of being alive.

“Oh, you must be hyung’s boyfriend!” The tree exclaims, his voice suddenly taking on a higher pitch. “Lee Jihoon, right?”

“Yeah, that’s me. And you are…?”

“Oh, right. Sorry, my name is Kim Mingyu,” he amends, stretching one hand out. “It’s nice to finally meet you!”

Although stunned, Jihoon takes on his handshake, “Uh, the pleasure is mine.” He takes a quick look behind Mingyu, finding an empty living room barely lit with the gleam of a television screen. “Is...uh, is Seungcheol here?”

He almost expects the guy to say no, but he nods enthusiastically, “Yeah, he’s in his room!” The smile previously sported on his face falls a little, “Hyung broke his nose today so he’s in there icing it. I don’t think he would mind you coming in, though.”

Jihoon ignores the guilt that bubbles in his chest, hot and heavy and dreadful.

“Thank you, Mingyu.”

Jihoon ducks under the giant’s outstretched arm to gain access to the inside of the apartment, hearing an ‘Oh, sorry!’ halfway in and feeling the arm retracting in a jerking motion.

The way to Seungcheol’s room is more than familiar by now, and Jihoon finds himself standing before the closed door. Seungcheol takes only a matter of seconds to open it and the sight of his boyfriend’s broken nose makes Jihoon’s chest ache unpleasantly knowing he’s the cause behind it. Despite the injury, a sweet smile breaks in Seungcheol’s face, making the guilt in Jihoon’s insides multiply by thirteen.

“Hey there, stranger,” Seungcheol greets softly, letting his eyes take in the sight of his boyfriend in front of him. Jihoon is wearing a big blue coat that covers his hands; a fluffy black scarf covers his neck and half his face, which Seungcheol knows is thoroughly bruised from the battle. He looks adorable, despite the circumstances. “Come in. Let me close the door.”

Jihoon does as told and beelines for the bed, sitting gingerly on it and finally pulling the fabric away from his face; the action reveals the bruises on his right cheekbone and his split bottom lip. Seungcheol furrows his brow when he catches sight of the ugly purple blooming on Jihoon’s skin even as he presses a lime green pack of ice to his own face. “I’m sorry about that,” He mutters, reaching his free hand out to cup his boyfriend’s cheek softly. “I got too invested in the fight.”

It’s Jihoon’s turn to frown, “What?” He spits out, incredulous. “Why are you apologizing? You didn’t even use that much force. I should be the one saying sorry.”

“My nose that ugly?”

“What? No, I-” Jihoon stumbles upon his own words, jerking away from Seungcheol’s hand. “Why aren’t you mad? I broke your nose and we had agreed on...well, being gentle, I guess.” To Jihoon’s surprise, Seungcheol laughs at that.

“You didn’t break my nose. Not directly, anyway. You were just doing what you usually do when we fight,” He explains softly, taking a seat beside his boyfriend, nudging Jihoon’s thigh with his own and removing the ice pack from his face; he points to his own angry red swollen nose, “I have super healing, this should be gone by tomorrow or after.” He pauses, then, “You did a number on me, though. Good job.”

Jihoon can’t keep the smile away from his face this time, even though it hurts to smile with a split lip. “Same goes for you.”

Seungcheol lets out a loud snort, followed by a wince. “Thanks, babe.”

They fall into an easy silence while Jihoon removes the layers of clothing which only served the purpose of breaking the cold wind outside and hiding his bruises. He’s in a familiar and warm place now, he can let his guard down. At one point, when the silence has lulled Jihoon into an almost sleep state, a question pops into his mind, and he nudges Seungcheol’s thigh to get his attention. Seungcheol only answers with a hum, but Jihoon knows he’s listening.

“Does your roommate know?”

He doesn’t need to specify. They never need to specify these things.

Seungcheol hums again; he lets his gaze wander to his boyfriend. Jihoon has since moved to the middle of the bed, laying down and looking up at Seungcheol with curious eyes. His question is genuine and Seungcheol won’t lie to him, they both know that.

“Yeah, he does. Doesn’t know the other heroes’, though.”

This time it is Jihoon who hums in acknowledgment and they fall into silence once again. A couple of minutes later, Jihoon rises up without warning and removes the ice pack from Seungcheol’s hand, taking it upon himself to press it gently against his swollen nose. “Let me do it, you kinda look like you’re punching yourself.”

The action brings a sweet smile to Seungcheol’s lips, and the look of pure adoration in his eyes makes Jihoon’s heart skip a beat, almost expecting the words that leave Seungcheol’s mouth next.

“I love you.”

It is said with such sincerity and so softly that it makes Jihoon stop his motions for a beat. Did he...he heard that right, didn’t he?

It only takes him one more look at Seungcheol’s expression to know he heard it absolutely right.

“I love you, too.”

Seungcheol’s smile widens, and Jihoon mirrors the action, wincing at the pain that shoots from his bottom lip.

Seungcheol snort-laughs, “God, we’re a really messed up couple.”

“We really are.”

It goes unsaid, but they know they wouldn’t have it any other way.

**Author's Note:**

> YAAAAAY thank you for reading this till the end!! I hope you enjoyed it and if you have any ideas for future installments of this series, don't feel afraid to drop them here or on my [twitter](http://twitter.com/PeachHoonie)!!
> 
> thank u lana juju n vince for reading through this and checking if it was coherent because i wrote most of it during the night woops
> 
> (also...i may not answer most comments but please know that i appreaciate every single one i get!! they're like fuel to me but i feel anxious answering them sometimes so im sorry ;-;)


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